Prince Edward, Countess of Wessex to grace Independence Day celebrations

His Royal Highness The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex are scheduled to grace the 70th anniversary celebration of Sri Lanka's independence on 4 February. They will represent Her Majesty The Queen at the event.

They will be on a visit to Sri Lanka from 31 January to 4 February 2018. The Earl and Countess will travel to Colombo and other parts of Sri Lanka, celebrating the long-standing friendship between the two countries and shared interest in the Commonwealth, youth development and education.

Their Royal Highnesses will meet participants in The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award and young Sri Lankans selected as Queen's Young Leaders, an initiative to recognise and celebrate exceptional young people across the Commonwealth. The Earl and Countess will also meet representatives of a number of projects advancing causes they support through their work, including MENCAFEP, whose work to help differently-abled children and their families in the Nuwara Eliya, Trincomalee and Batticaloa Districts illustrates the close links between the people of Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom, a press release says.